City of Burnaby recognized for 'preserving water for nature and future generations'

The City of Burnaby has been named the first Blue Community in Canada for promoting and preserving water.

The Council of Canadians and the Canadian Union of Public Employees, which presented the certificate, said the city has met all the criteria including water as a human right, promoting publicly financed, owned and operated water and wastewater services; and banning the sale of bottled water in public facilities and at municipal events.

“The City of Burnaby has demonstrated real leadership on water in Canada, and we’re hopeful we will start to see Blue Communities from coast to coast,” national water campaigner Emma Lui said in a statement.

The award notes that a Blue Community “is one that treats water as belonging to no one, and the responsibility of all. Because water is central to human activity, it must be governed by principles that allow for reasonable use, equal distribution and responsible treatment in order to preserve water for nature and future generations.”

This year’s World Water Day theme is “Water for Cities: Responding to the Urban Challenge”.